RU2653980C2 - Device for assisting in manoeuvring of cover and turbojet engine nacelle equipped with same - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aircraft engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of aviation, in particular to the design of devices for assisting in the manoeuvring of a cover of a nacelle of a turbojet engine. Assistance device comprises bent part (13-15) mounted on hinge (41, 75) coaxial with hinge (5, 6) of connecting element (4, 7). Hinge of the device is rigidly connected to bent part (13-15), one end of which rests on connecting element coupling (35, 38) of cover (1, 2) and one point of which is pivotally connected to compression spring (17, 27) so as to apply assistance momentum to the connecting element when lifting of cover (1, 2).

EFFECT: weight of the aircraft is reduced.

8 cl, 9 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to an auxiliary device for performing manipulations with a hood, in particular with a hood of a fan of a nacelle of a turbojet engine or the like. The invention also relates to a nacelle of a turbojet engine equipped with such a device.

It is known from the prior art to place bonnets on nacelles of a turbojet engine. Such hoods in the closed state make it possible to ensure the continuity of aerodynamic sheathing of the nacelle during the flight of the aircraft equipped with them. When the aircraft is on the ground, it is subject to maintenance or other similar procedures, and therefore some internal elements of the nacelle must be accessible by opening such a protective hood.

For this purpose, the hood is mounted on one or more hinges located on the stationary or supporting part of the nacelle. For example, in the case of a fan hood, the size of the hood is relatively large so that a significant mass needs to be controlled. In addition, there is a problem of wind resistance, so a large number of operators are needed to open one hood, especially in the case of large gondolas.

At the same time, opening and closing operations increase the operator’s working time, and, therefore, are associated with significant costs in the case of operation of civil aircraft.

To eliminate this problem, it is necessary, in particular, to limit human participation when opening the hood. The prior art is the use of power cylinders, the operation of which is fully automatic, while operator intervention is limited to the operation of actuating the control lever, which activates the cylinders.

Such a solution cannot be easily implemented on existing nacelles, since it requires the installation of cylinders and their mounts both on the hood, which must be set in motion, and also on a section that is immobile with respect to the nacelle. In addition, the power cylinders are relatively heavy devices that increase the mass balance of the aircraft, which is unacceptable.

In addition, it is known that for the implementation of the two above-mentioned functions - the continuity of aerodynamic cladding in flight and the manipulation for maintenance operations, the hood itself must have a strictly specified amount of material. Adding fasteners to the bonnet on such a hood is a difficult and even possibly unsolvable task, in particular because the degree of reinforcement of the skin used is very small and the action of the hoisting jack can lead to piercing or damage to the bonnet. Introduction to the design of additional reinforcement requires new research on installation work and further increases the mass of the aircraft.

The present invention allows to eliminate these disadvantages of the prior art by means of an auxiliary device for performing manipulations with the hood of a turbojet engine articulated by means of at least one connecting element. The specified auxiliary device includes: at least one cranked part mounted on a hinge, coaxial to the hinge of the specified connecting element, and having an end support on the specified connecting element, and a compression spring superimposed on the specified cranked part, so as to give the connecting element of the hood auxiliary impulse when raising the hood.

According to other features of the invention:

a compression spring is superimposed on the specified cranked part by means of a hinge of the cranked part, one end of which supports a support element for supporting the bonnet connecting element, which has an auxiliary effect;

a compression spring is superimposed on a lever comprising a support member for resting on the inner surface of the hood support, such as a nacelle pylon;

the auxiliary device has a U-shape, the lever includes a pair of parallel rods, and the cranked part has two parallel sections;

a compression spring comprises at least one spring selected from the group including gas springs and coil springs;

the auxiliary device comprises two springs located between the U-shaped parallel sections of the specified cranked part and the parallel arm rods;

the hinge located on one straight line with the existing hinge or hinge loop for the bonnet connecting element has a common rod with the hinge of the bonnet connecting element, to which an additional impulse of the compression spring is applied.

The invention also relates to a nacelle of a turbojet engine or the like, including at least one hood articulated to a support, such as a pylon. The nacelle according to the invention comprises at least one auxiliary device for facilitating the raising of the hood mounted on at least one hinge or a plurality of hinges of said hood.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, given with reference to the drawings, in which:

in FIG. 1 shows a portion of a prior art nacelle having two side hoods in a closed state;

in FIG. 2 shows a portion of a prior art nacelle having two hoods of FIG. 1, in the open state;

in FIG. 3 shows a portion of the prior art nacelle of FIG. 1 or 2, on which an auxiliary device according to one embodiment of the present invention is placed;

in FIG. 4-6 show another embodiment of the invention;

in FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention;

in FIG. 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 1 and 2 schematically show a portion of a known nacelle containing two closed side hoods. The drawing schematically shows a partial section, including a left hood 1, a pylon or support 3 and a right hood 2. The left 1 and right 2 hood are pivotally mounted on the pylon 3 by an articulated loop 5 or 6, respectively, mounted on the bottom, as shown in the drawing, the surface of the pylon 3. On each hinge loop or hinge 5 or 6 there is a cranked part 7 or 4, the end of which is attached, for example, by screwing, to the inner surface of the left 1 or right 2 hood, respectively.

When the engine contained in the nacelle is in the running state, the left 1 and right 2 hoods are in the closed state (Figure 1). During maintenance of the aforementioned device equipped with a nacelle, maintenance workers can open the left 1 and right 2 hoods by raising the free edges (in the drawing below), so that the left 1 and right 2 hoods rotate around the hinge 6, respectively or 5. A nacelle in which the left 1 and right 2 hoods are open, shown in FIG. 2.

As mentioned above, the mass of the hood, its large size in the case of the largest nacelles, as well as the wind resistance on the platforms for maintenance at airports, do not make it easy to carry out the operation by a single worker performing maintenance.

According to the invention, it becomes possible to supplement the existing equipment of the nacelle with a device that facilitates the performance of this operation, or lift the hood, by using limited means and without changing the design of the device enclosed in the nacelle and the nacelle itself.

In FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of such a device. The gondola partially shown in the figure includes the same elements as those shown in FIG. 1 and 2, while for clarity of illustration, the figure in question does not show all the position numbers indicated on these two figures and mentioned in the following text. Two auxiliary devices 10 and 20 are shown. They are identical. However, the auxiliary device 10 mounted on the hinge 5 (the position number is identical to that indicated in Fig. 1, but not shown in Fig. 3) is in an inactive state, and the hood 2 remains closed. The auxiliary device 20 mounted on the hinge 6 (the position number is identical to that indicated in Fig. 1 but not shown in Fig. 3) is in the active state, and the left hood 1 is brought into the open state by the maintenance operator.

The lifting auxiliary device 10 according to the embodiment of FIG. 3 includes a lever 11, on which two hinges are supported, respectively, the hinge 12 on the right, coaxial to the hinge 5 (see Fig. 1), and the hinge 18 on the left. The lever 11 near the hinge 12 supports the support member 19 for supporting on the inner surface (on the drawing) of the pylon or support 3. The support element 19 may, if necessary, be fixed to the indicated inner surface of the pylon 3 by means of bolts or in another way. However, as will be understood from the following description, with restrictions on the weight of the hood, the balance of the auxiliary device is ensured.

The hinge 12, coaxial to the hinge 5 (figure 1), supports a cranked piece 13-15 having a first portion 15, one end of which is attached to the hinge 12 on the left and one end is attached to the other hinge 16 on the right. The second portion 14 of the cranked piece 13-15 to the first section 15 and, if necessary, to the hinge 16, however, without the possibility of rotation relative to the first section 15. Finally, the right end of the section 14 supports the support element 13 to support a given section of the connecting element 4 (see Fig. 1). Like the aforementioned support element 19, the support element 13 of the crank piece 13-15 can, if necessary, be fixed to the connecting element 4 (figure 1) by bolts or in another way. However, as will be understood from the following description, with restrictions on the weight of the hood, the balance of the auxiliary device is ensured.

Finally, the hood lift accessory 10 includes at least one compression spring, one end of which is superimposed on a portion of a cranked part. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the spring is superimposed on the crankshaft so that it rests on the hinge of the crankshaft. In other embodiments, one end of the compression spring is also superimposed on a lever. In the described embodiment, the compression spring 17 is installed with the first end on the hinge 18 on the lever 11, while the end of the movable rod of the compression spring 17 is mounted on the right on the hinge 16, mounted on the crankshaft 13-15.

According to one embodiment, the compression spring 17 is a gas spring having a cylindrical sealing housing, from one end of which there is a movable rod supporting a piston configured to extend along the internal volume of the sealing housing under gas pressure.

According to one embodiment, the mass of the hood 1 or 2 is 57 kg. The lever 12 and the cranked part 13-15 of the auxiliary device are made of titanium and with a mass of the connecting spring of 700 grams, the total weight of the device is 1300 grams. The amplitude of the rotational movement of the hood is in the range of 60 °, and the auxiliary force is from 120 N at the beginning of opening to 340 N in the open position.

The following describes the operation of the auxiliary device 20, similar to the auxiliary device 10, but connected to the left hood 1. When the maintenance operator opens the latch (not shown) to connect the left hood 1 to the rest of the nacelle (not shown), it captures the lower edge of the hood and brings it in the rotary movement 31 around the hinge 6 (figure 1). At the same time, the gas spring 27 of the auxiliary device 20 extends its movable rod 29 in the direction 30, exerting additional force of the expanding spring during the lifting operation performed by the maintenance operator. The cranked part of the auxiliary device 20, similar to the cranked part 13-15 of the auxiliary device 10, exerts a compensating impulse on the connecting element 7 (figure 1), thus contributing to the work of the maintenance operator, which, therefore, can act alone.

Since the auxiliary device 20 rests only on the lower surface of the pylon and on the connecting element 7 (figure 1), it does not create loads on a small area of the nacelle. In addition, due to the fact that sharp angles are provided relative to the supporting surfaces on the connecting element and on the pylon, the auxiliary device, thanks to the connecting sections, remains in place even without the use of fixing means, but only relying on a hinge 6 with which the said device has a common axis turning.

The device according to the invention is a minimal addition to the devices integrated in the nacelle, therefore, its installation on known nacelles is not a problem. Similarly, its integration into the design of the new gondola does not impose additional restrictions.

In addition to the formation of supporting sections (13 and 19; auxiliary device 10) with a small surface for support on the pylon and on the connecting element (4; figure 1), to assemble the auxiliary device according to the invention, it is only necessary to change the existing hinge on the connecting element connecting the hood to the bottom pylon surface. In practice, this hinge consists of one or more rods on the axis of the hinge, which enter the corresponding hole of the connecting element 4 or 7 and a section mounted on the lower surface of the pylon. According to one embodiment, such a rod is replaced by a longer rod, which also enters the hinge 12 (device 10), mounted on the cranked part 13-15 and the lever 11. An embodiment of the invention will be described below.

In FIG. 4-7 show three perspective views of another embodiment of the invention, for the case of installation on a known gondola. The considered portion of the nacelle mounted on the pylon 34 is shown in front. Two auxiliary devices are shown: an auxiliary device 40 mounted on the hood 36 on the left and an auxiliary device 50 mounted on the hood 39 on the right. The hood 36 on the left is connected to the connecting element 35, one, invisible, the end of which is pivotally connected via a rod to a stationary connecting element attached to the inner surface of the pylon 34. Similarly, the right hood 39 is connected to the connecting element 35, one visible, the end of which is connected by a rod with a stationary connecting element attached to the inner surface of the pylon 34.

The auxiliary device 40 is mounted on the connecting element 35 of the left hood 36, and the auxiliary device 50 is mounted on the connecting element 38 of the right hood 39. The arrangement of these two auxiliary devices is similar to that shown in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 4, the hoods are shown in a closed state, and in FIG. 5 - in the open. It should be noted that there is a reinforcing rod 37 connecting stationary connecting elements fixed from the bottom surface to the pylon nacelle, stationary connecting elements involved in the articulation of the conventional type of the left hood 36 with the connecting element 35 and the right hood 39 with the connecting element 38. A specific section of the reinforcing rod 37 is due to the corresponding profile on the support member 47, similar to the support member 19 of the auxiliary device 10 described with reference to FIG. 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4-6, the auxiliary device is U-shaped, so that the lever 11 and the cranked part 13-15 of the auxiliary device 10 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 are duplicated in the accessory 40 of the embodiment of FIG. 4. Thus, on the left side of the auxiliary device 40, the equivalent of the lever 40 consists of two parallel rods, of which only the first rod 42 is visible, connected in particular by the support element 47. Similarly, the spring 17 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 is duplicated to obtain two identical springs 45 and 46, and the cranked part 13-15 is duplicated to obtain two identical and parallel sections, with the position number indicating only one rear section 43 connected to the supporting element 44 of the connecting element 35, while the supporting element 44 is an analog of the supporting element 13 of the auxiliary device 10 of the embodiment of FIG. 3. The ends of the two springs 46 and 45 are pivotally mounted on suitable hinges, respectively, of two sections of the cranked part 43-44 and the double lever 42.

Finally, the common shaft 41 of the auxiliary device 40 and the connecting element 35 provides support to the auxiliary device 40 on the nacelle and its auxiliary action. In FIG. 5, which is similar to FIG. 4, two hoods 36 and 39 are shown in an open state, with two auxiliary devices in a stretched state in which the springs are fully extended.

Figure 6 shows the auxiliary device 40 immediately before its installation on the connecting element 35. For this, the original hinge pin of the connecting element 35 on the pylon is removed, and the hood 36 is in the raised position. The auxiliary device 40 is placed by means of a reciprocal hinge 56, 57, while the two springs are in an extended state. You just need to place the longer rod 41 in the hole 52, designed for this purpose. Two parallel arms of the bracket, consisting of two parallel arms - front 42 and rear 59 arms, are arranged so that their left ends having openings 56 and 57 extend to the outer side of the stationary connecting element of the inner surface of the pylon 34. In this embodiment, the stationary connecting the element of the inner surface of the pylon consists of a fork-shaped end of the reinforcing rod 37. Each of the two shoulders of the fork forming a stationary connecting element has a hole 52 or 53 and surrounds the end flax element 35, on which the left hood 36 is mounted.

When all these components are aligned relative to the common axis of the hinge to be modified, a rod 41 is inserted into the group of holes, thereby performing the operation of changing the hinge assembly of the hood and at the same time constantly installing the auxiliary device 40 on the nacelle. It remains only to close the left hood 36 to bring the compression springs 46 and 45 into their compressed state so that the device is ready to facilitate the subsequent opening operation.

In FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the auxiliary device, when installed on the right hood 39 of the nacelle of the same type as shown in FIG. 4-6. The auxiliary device also has a U-shape with two rods 65 and 66 connected to the left with the support element 73 on the reinforcing rod 37. The other ends of the rods 65 and 66, which are analogous to the lever 11 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 support a crank piece 68-72 consisting of two parallel sections 68 and 71, as in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 4-6. Two parallel sections 68 and 71 of the crankshaft 68-72 are connected by a supporting element 70 of the connecting element 38 mounted on the right hood 39.

The space between two parallel sections 68 and 71 of the crankshaft part 68-72 accommodates a cap 72 pivotally mounted on an axis 69 passing through two parallel sections 68 and 71. The cap 72 is designed to receive the free end of the moving rod of one compression spring 67, the housing 67 which is pivotally connected in the left part with parallel rods 65 and 66.

The assembly and operation of the bracket of the connecting device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is identical to the assembly and bracket of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4-6.

In FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of an auxiliary device according to the invention. The gondola on which it is mounted is identical to the gondola of FIG. 4-7 and has the same notation for item numbers. However, it should be noted that the left 36 and right 39 hoods support three hinged connecting elements at the fork ends - as shown in FIG. 6 on three reinforcing bars 85, 86 and 87. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, a single auxiliary device is located on the hinge of the central reinforcing rod 86. Auxiliary device 75-85 is mounted on the left in the same way as in the embodiment of FIG. 3, on a common hinge 75 in conjunction with a connecting device 35 of the left hood 36, while an auxiliary device 81-83 identical to the left connecting device 75-80 is mounted on a common hinge with a connecting element 38 of the right hood 39.

The auxiliary device according to this embodiment differs from the device according to the previous embodiment in that it includes instead of a gas spring a spiral spring 79 or 82 and in that it does not have the shape of a bracket and is thus mounted on one side of the axis 75 forming the common hinge of the crankshaft 78 (respectively 83), the lever 76 (respectively 81) supporting the helical spring 79 (respectively 82) of the auxiliary device acting on the connecting element 35 (respectively 38), and of the coupling member 35 on the stationary coupling element at the end of the reinforcing rod 86.

In FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 8, but in which an auxiliary device was added to each of the three connecting elements of both the left 36 and right 39 hoods, in particular the device 90, 92 and 94 for the three connecting elements of the right hood 39 and the device 91, 93 and 95 for the three connecting elements of the left hood 36.

Devices according to the other embodiments described above may also be provided on all of the connecting elements or hinges of the hood, or only on some of them. Compression springs used to produce an opening-promoting pulse can be of any type, including gas springs and coil springs.

Claims (10)

1. An auxiliary device for performing manipulations with the hood (1, 2; 36, 39) of a nacelle of a turbojet engine pivotally mounted (5, 6; 52-54) by means of at least one connecting element (4, 7; 35, 38), characterized in that it includes: at least one cranked part (13-15; 41, 43, 61; 68, 71; 78) mounted on a hinge (41; 75), coaxial to a hinge (5, 6; 52-54) of said connecting element (4, 7; 35, 38), and having an end support on said connecting element (4, 7; 35, 38), and a compression spring (17, 27; 45, 46; 67; 79, 82) superimposed on the specified cranked part so as to give the connecting element (4, 7; 52-54) of the hood an auxiliary impulse when raising the hood. 2. The device according to p. 1, characterized in that the compression spring is superimposed on the specified cranked part by means of a hinge (16; 69, 72; 76) of the cranked part (13-15; 41, 43, 61; 68, 71; 78), one end of which supports the support element (13; 47; 70) for supporting the bonnet on the connecting element (4, 7; 52-54), which has an auxiliary effect. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the compression spring is superimposed on a lever (11; 42, 59, 65, 66; 80, 81) containing a support element (19; 47) for supporting the inner surface of the support ( 3; 34) hoods such as a gondola pylon. 4. The device according to p. 3, characterized in that it has a U-shape, and the lever includes a pair of parallel rods (42, 59; 65, 66), and the cranked part has two parallel sections (43, 61; 68 , 71). 5. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that the compression spring (17, 27; 45, 46; 67; 79, 82) comprises at least one spring selected from the group including gas springs and coil springs. 6. The device according to p. 4, characterized in that the compression spring (17, 27; 45, 46; 67; 79, 82) contains at least one spring selected from the group including gas springs and coil springs, this device contains two springs (45, 46) located between the U-shaped parallel sections (43, 60; 68, 71) of the specified cranked part and parallel rods (42, 59; 65, 66) of the lever. 7. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1, 2, 4 or 6, characterized in that the hinge (6; 41; 75), located on a straight line with the existing hinge or hinge loop for the connecting element (7; 35) of the hood (1, 2; 36, 39) has a common rod (41; 75) with a hinge of the bonnet connecting element, to which an additional impulse of the compression spring is applied. 8. A nacelle of a turbojet engine or the like, including at least one hood pivotally mounted to a support, such as a pylon, characterized in that it includes at least one auxiliary device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, contributing to the lifting of the hood mounted on at least one hinge or multiple hinges of the specified hood.

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